Ted Talk Summary

Dan Pink had three unique ideas in his Ted Talk: higher rewards produce lower performance, we are operating on outdated methods of motivation, and there are three elements of motivation. He uses the candle problem and a research study to explain why higher rewards produce lower performance. He then builds on this by showing that in some ways we are operating on outdated methods of motivation. He also proposes three intrinsic motivations: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He uses various economic scholars and studies to support his all of his arguments.

Dan Pink uses the example of the candle problem. It was an experiment created in 1945 by Karl Duncker. The candle problem was used to test the hypothesis that higher rewards produce higher performance. He explains that what was found in the study was the opposite of the hypothesis. Participants who had greater incentives took longer to solve the puzzle. He uses them as evidence for why he believes that incentives slow down the speed of word. I …show more content…
I have worked for Ubee’s, a restaurant near campus, as a delivery driver. Over half of the money that drivers make comes from making deliveries and the tips that are received from them. One way to make more money is to take more deliveries. The driver who has been at the restaurant the longest decides whether to take a delivery or not; therefore, the only way to get more deliveries is to be back before other drivers. This incentive encourages drivers to spend less time while on deliveries. In a competitive environment, incentives are important. Unsurprisingly, delivering wings is not rocket science. I agree that it would make sense that creative fields would see more benefit from these unincentivized motivations. Being able to work with the ideas a person already has enables them to work on projects they actually enjoy rather than just the monotony of the typical work